Article

Value Every Step of the Way

From Planning to Optimizing, SAP S/4HANA Value Assurance Service Packages Can Help Ensure Implementation Is On Time and On Budget

by Silvio Bessa | SAPinsider, Volume 17, Issue 3

August 4, 2016

SAP S/4HANA is the key to digitizing your business, and digitizing your business is the key to success in today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving economy. Transitioning to SAP S/4HANA can seem overwhelming, causing some organizations to wonder how to best go about making the switch. To help customers adopt SAP S/4HANA with confidence, SAP delivers a set of service packages designed to actively support the transition. Read on to discover how you can make an efficient and seamless transition to SAP S/4HANA and better embrace the digital age.

The digital economy is redefining the way business is conducted, and companies that do not embrace change will cease to exist. The ability to innovate quickly and rapidly analyze data to make informed decisions about business strategy is paramount. SAP S/4HANA is the digital core that you need to gain immediate insight at all levels of granularity and the agility to compete in the digital age. It provides you with enhanced processes across the board — procurement, manufacturing, supply chain, asset management, sales and distribution, and services. The digital core also delivers a consistent, end-to-end experience and a simplified landscape.

With such major changes, the transition to SAP S/4HANA can seem daunting. The amount of preparation required — from planning activities to the actual implementation — may cause some companies to wonder how they should best go about making the switch. To help expedite SAP S/4HANA implementations and alleviate any concerns, SAP Digital Business Services1 has launched SAP S/4HANA Value Assurance service packages, which are designed to actively support and guide you through a successful implementation of SAP S/4HANA.2

Predefined Packages

SAP S/4HANA Value Assurance service packages are incremental and include defined services with a defined outcome for a defined price. This allows you to choose the level of SAP’s involvement in the project. The packages also complement services delivered by partners, so whether you are starting fresh or migrating an existing landscape, SAP and its partners can help you complete your journey to SAP S/4HANA successfully. Figure 1 illustrates SAP S/4HANA Value Assurance service packages, which consist of four levels:

Plan and safeguard: The first level of SAP involvement defines your implementation strategy, identifying necessary prerequisites and your target architecture — all with the help of a technical quality manager from SAP.

Technical implementation: The second level centers on the technical implementation in terms of data and system migration, high availability, and disaster recovery.

Migrate and implement: The third level focuses on the functional implementation with preconfigured setup and business process templates. It also defines your support framework by analyzing the impact of the implementation on operations.

Innovate and optimize: The fourth level is the most involved and is personalized to help drive innovation and reimagine business models across your entire company.

Figure 1 — The four levels of SAP involvement offered by the SAP S/4HANA Value Assurance service packages

As an added benefit, the service packages use a predefined innovation roadmap — including best practices and SAP S/4HANA readiness checks — that guide you through the entire project life cycle, from discovery through running SAP S/4HANA. They also contain services that enable SAP to assist you in every phase of the implementation. The service packages also leverage the functionality within SAP Solution Manager 7.2,3 allowing you to better facilitate your IT interaction with the lines of business. It can also provide the tools to build, test, and deploy SAP S/4HANA with monitoring capabilities to track the progress of your project for a smoother transition with little to no disruption to your business.

Commitment to Customers

No matter which level of involvement you choose, SAP is fully committed to helping you succeed in the digital economy. This is why we have created a four-phased approach to support you on your journey to digitization:

Executive alignment: Determine your strategy and goals for the SAP S/4HANA implementation. Make sure team members are aware of the scope, timeline, required resources, and governance model.

Value discovery: Identify opportunities to innovate and optimize business processes by engaging in design thinking workshops and leveraging assessment tools. Build out your business case, solution roadmap, and migration plan, and define the execution framework.

Validation and executive readiness: Finalize your plans and help ensure buy-in by delivering a comprehensive, board-ready presentation to executives. Determine the funding requirements to solidify the decision.

Value delivery: Ensure your program delivery is on time, within budget, and in line with the expected outcomes.

While all four phases contribute to the success of an implementation, value delivery is often the phase that is most scrutinized by executives. It is imperative that the value outcome is properly communicated throughout the company and that results are delivered as promised in order to truly measure the success of the implementation.

Staying Relevant

The digital economy is revolutionizing business, and the only way to survive is to adapt to the changes. With SAP S/4HANA as the digital core, you will have the means to transform your business and stay relevant in the market. Whether you are a brand-new SAP customer, or are migrating your current SAP ERP system to SAP S/4HANA, SAP is committed to your success and the SAP S/4HANA Value Assurance service packages can help you achieve this digital transformation. For more information, read “From Your Current State to Digital with SAP S/4HANA Value Assurance” by Oliver Huschke at http://bit.ly/CurrentStatetoDigital.

1 SAP Digital Business Services is an organization within SAP that offers guidance, tools, and support to customers undergoing digital transformation. For more information, visit www.sap-digital-business-services.com. [back]

Silvio Bessa

Silvio Bessa (silvio.bessa@sap.com) is the global head of the SAP MaxAttention brand and runs support and premium engagements for SAP North America. In this role, he oversees the full breadth of operations, ensuring customers can derive the most value from their SAP investments.

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